The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1887-06-03


After 6rm foundation q mud -
laid. almost any thing soft win 10 -
help out the walls o. the nest such -
pieces Of cloth. string. or newspaper.
Four or i've light-blue eggs are laid.
and fortnight later the delicate sky
colored shells have vanished. leaving
In their places acluster Of yellow. gap
ing mouths.
Now commences the real labor Of =
robins Life; labor such as few would
ever guess Mr. Samuels tells Us, In
his interesting book about birds, that
young robin. kept in . cage BY friend
q his. ate each day an amount Of food
equal to one third Of its own weight.
which would be about sixty pounds OF
meat for man. When II was about
three weeks old. 1t ate sixty EIGHT angle
worms in single day, and wanted
more! Think Of the exertions required
Of the father and mother TO earn an
honest living for four or five Of these
hungry little fellows!
Robins are very glad 70 have peck
At nice. ripe fruit now and then-look
out for your cherries! But, after
all. they live almost entirely on grubs
and insects. II you want 70 know
what would happen should they all be
shot or driven away. read Longfcllow's
"Birds Of Killingworth."
1t is curious fact that young robins
have pretty. notified breasts. turning
to a rudy orange as they grow older.
When about four weeks old. they find
home too small for them. They perch
on the edge Of the nest; their mother
| flutters TO and fro before them, and
shows them that flying is very easy
matter-if you only know how! At
lart the dumpy little things take cour-
| age. and. with much trembling and
beating Of heart. they launch their
small feathered boats upon the great
| air-ocean. How delicious! 1t bears
them up! They are in frenzy Of de-
light. and At the top peg Of self-respect
as they cling awkwardly to the messy
apple bough at least dozen feet from
home. How small the nest looks nowi
Who wants 70 60 back? 1t requires
little urging for the second voyage.
| But night comes on 1t is very dark
Great. cold drops Of rain come patter-
| ing down on the frightened brown
backs Of four young robins, who wish
very much that they were at home.
| Suddenly their timid chirping ceases;
| they are quiet. and know they are safe
The dear, watchful mother has never
lost sight Of them. and now Is at their
side. She brings them food, she preens
their wet uncomfortable feathers. she
hovers over them with warm. protect
ing wings. and twitters softly to them
in that sweet undertone Of love that all
mothers know so well. So the little
ones are comforted. and. head under
wing. fall asleep.
| Peacefully and happily the long
summer days pass by. Sometimes.
but not often. there is still another nest
full Of children to feed and care for.
II In city and country. from Greenland
| to Florida. the cheerful whistle Of the
robin is heard. The fruit ripens in the
orchard and the nights grow cold
Some morning in early November the
sparkling white frost tells our CHEEKY
! little neighbor that he must move TO
his winter quarters The warm, sun
ny slopes Of the South. the pleasant
groves Of Mexico and Guatemala, arc
waiting for him. By the tenth Of the
month there are only few robins left
| in the Middle States and New England
sturdy fellows who have wrapped
their feathers about their ears. and
choosing the deepest evergreen thick
cts for their home. viii stay all winter.
'I-Willis b. Alien. IN Chrisfidp Union.